Canada-bound Indian students wait with bated breath for visa approvals
New Delhi/IBNS: Numerous Indian students excited to start their freshman year in Canadian universities wait with bated breath as visa delays spoil travel plans.
Educational institutes in Canada expect students to be present at campuses in early Sept.
Otherwise, students have been advised to postpone their admissions.
There are many students who have received admission at MCGill University, and University of British Columbia among others and have paid their yearly tuition fee in full, housing charges and met other requirements to apply through the Student Direct Stream (SDS), TOI reported.
SDS is known for reducing the time frame in which a student gets their visa nod, usually within two weeks.
This comes with its own financial burn of CAD 10,000, an IELTS requirement, and a medical check-up.
International Educational Counsellor Pratibha Jain said, “Since the last few years this has been the most preferred route recommended by universities and the Canadian international visa section (IRCC). This year has been a calamity. The Canadian Government and universities are not giving answers on why visas have not been processed. There is so much anguish among parents and students are anxious," as per a TOI report.
Students have requested varsities to offer online classes as a solution but this has either been declined or not been responded to.
"Canadian universities should allow students to join this Fall 2022, so that they can progress to on-campus classes whenever they reach campuses. This way their education will not be jeopardized. All Canada universities offered this solution in 2020 and 2021.
"Hence, there is precedence, and the technical infrastructure in place. Choices of subjects in January semester 2 are dependent on completing prerequisites in Fall semester 1," Jain added in a TOI report.
Parents informed TOI that they had taken steps by forming university-specific groups and writing to the Canadian Bureau for International Educational and various institutions to expedite the visa approval process and offer online classes.
Students in the range of 35k to 50k await their visas, International counsellors in India pegged, according to a TOI report.
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